Middlewich to Albert Dock

[Zayna]

So. Five days (7hrs 22mins travelling), two and a half hours according to the canalplan.

 

I haven't looked for stoppages yet, so bear with me...

 

I haven't got ten days holiday to play with, just two weekends and the week in between, so really, it's nine days. Reckon we'll get there and back in that time? I'm thinking we'll have to leave the boat somewhere on the way back and pick it up the following weekend. Because none of this planning takes into account queues at locks or stops in pubs or going shopping.

 

Sigh. If only I had more holidays left...

[Pie Eater]

You could always set off the weekend before your holidays start and leave it at a boat club or Marina for a week.

 

And do the same on your way back as well.

 

Steve

[robdalej]

So. Five days (7hrs 22mins travelling), two and a half hours according to the canalplan.

 

I haven't looked for stoppages yet, so bear with me...

 

I haven't got ten days holiday to play with, just two weekends and the week in between, so really, it's nine days. Reckon we'll get there and back in that time? I'm thinking we'll have to leave the boat somewhere on the way back and pick it up the following weekend. Because none of this planning takes into account queues at locks or stops in pubs or going shopping.

 

Sigh. If only I had more holidays left...

you havent factored in how many times you will be down the weed hatch on the run in to Liverpool! reckon you will be pushing it and have no real time to enjoy it

[Zayna]

That's what I'm thinking.

 

Too much to do, so little time. I think leaving it in a marina for a week might be the way to go, any recommendations please folks?

 

Don't worry if not, half the fun is planning these things, isn't it? Something to look forward to.

[Pie Eater]

You could weekend it to the Marina at Boothstown and then start your holidays from there.

 

I have never used this marina myself.

 

Steve y

[robdalej]

We did this trip a few years ago, from memory it took us two weeks ,so think you should allow this amount of time,, as you are governed by what time / dates C.R,T will allow you through the Liverpool arm . Not sure but think they only allow one passage per week through now

[David Mack]

You will be using up your reciprocal days with the Bridgewater on the way out and on the way back. Not really a problem, except that, with their new more rigorous enforcement, you can't really leave the boat on the Bridgewater for a week if you have to break the journey - I have left a boat on the towpath at Worsley for a couple of weeks in the past, but not sure you'd get away with it now.

[Pie Eater]

You will be using up your reciprocal days with the Bridgewater on the way out and on the way back. Not really a problem, except that, with their new more rigorous enforcement, you can't really leave the boat on the Bridgewater for a week if you have to break the journey - I have left a boat on the towpath at Worsley for a couple of weeks in the past, but not sure you'd get away with it now.

This may not apply if you are in a marina.

 

Steve

[dmr]

Liverpool gets cleaner every year.

Just been in and out twice in the last month with no visits to weedhatch, would expect no more than one.

However there are a lot of swing bridges between Parbold and Liverpool and one or two are not that reliable so factor in a possible delay of a few hours while CaRT turn up to help.

 

..............Dave

[Idunhoe]

Never used it but there is Scarisbrick Marina on the Leeds Liverpool.

Did not need to go down the weed hatch once when we went into Liverpool in June this year, much cleaner than it was a few years ago

[tillergirl]

If you are going over the Bridgewater Poolstock Locks were closed behind us on Sunday awaiting new gates. Were were told closed for a minimum of 7 days. Best to ring the Wigan office and ask because there has been no offical stoppage announced. Course they may have decided to assist passage instead.

[Pie Eater]

If you are going over the Bridgewater Poolstock Locks were closed behind us on Sunday awaiting new gates. Were were told closed for a minimum of 7 days. Best to ring the Wigan office and ask because there has been no offical stoppage announced. Course they may have decided to assist passage instead.

Poolstock locks are OPEN as normal.

 

Steve

[JohnEW2912]

This trip is easily doable in your timeframe if you're happy to put in a few longish days. Excluding any locks in Middlewich and the Liverpool Link locks there are only 9 each way, plus as has been mentioned a number of swing bridges after Wigan.

 

We moor at Scarisbrick and can do from there to Lymm in less than 2 days.

 

Of course it's good to spend some time in Liverpool and that would be difficult in a 9 day trip. Scarisbrick Marina won't really work for you as somewhere to leave the boat as it's too near Liverpool for you to get the boat either there or back in a weekend. You could think of taking the boat to Anderton or Acton Bridge in advance or maybe better having a fallback position of leaving it there if you don't have time to get back at the end.

[tillergirl]

Poolstock locks are OPEN as normal.

Steve

They may well be at the moment but new gates are being made and will be fitted very soon. I can only report on what we were told by the boss there when they LOCKED the lock gates behind us last Sunday.

 

Hope the OP doesn't have their trip scuppered if they get stuck behind a stoppage.